
THNOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL FROM 
NORTH AMERICA IN SWISS 
COLLECTIONS 



BY 



DAVID I. BUSHNELL, Jr 




Reprinted from the American Anthropologist (n, s.), Vol. io, No. 
January-March, 1908 



Laucasier, Pa., U. S. A. 
The New Era Printing Company 



Class _________ 

Book __________ 

Copyright]^ 0 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



[Reprinted from the American Anthropologist, Vol. 10, No. i, Jan. -March, 1908] 



•j Two Copies Hecttivtfcj 

APR 8 1908 

1 voyyngui ttrtry 

j COPY B» j 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL FROM NORTH 
AMERICA IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 1 

By DAVID I. BUSHNELL, Jr 

I — General Collections 

Although the great majority of the museums in Switzerland are 
devoted to the preservation of material relating to the history and 
development of that country, including numerous collections of 
objects recovered from the " stations" dating from the stone, the 
bronze, and the iron ages, there are, nevertheless, valuable ethnolog- 
ical collections gathered from various parts of the world, including 
some old and very interesting objects from North America. 

Many of the pieces forming the American collections were 
brought back by travelers or other persons who resided for a time, 
in America during the days when such things were easily obtained. 
It is evident that the collectors chose good examples of the dif- 
ferent types and classes of work. This is most apparent in the 
collections in the Historisches Museum in Bern, as will be shown 
later. For this reason the specimens are of special interest and 
value at the present time. Moreover, many of the pieces in the 
Bern Museum bear old labels or marks of identification, usually the 
name of the tribe, probably written when the objects were obtained 
from the Indians; such marks of course add to the value of the 
specimens. 

Collections of ethnological material from North America are pre- 
served in the museums in Zurich, Basel, Bern, and Neuchatel, to- 

1 Copyright, 199F, by David I. Bushnell, Jr. 

AM. ANTH., N. S., IO — I. 1 



2 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N . s ., IO , , 9 o8 

gether with a few pieces in Lausanne. 1 Of these the collection in 
Bern ,s of the most interest and importance ; for that reason it will 
be described more in detail. 

The small Ethnographical. Museum in Zurich - this should not 
be confused with the Swiss Landesmuseum which is devoted exclu- 
sively to material relating to Switzerland - has a rather limited 
American collection. The most interesting piece is an excellent old 
cathmte p,pe with a long, well-decorated stem. There are also 
some unusually good moccasins, all old and elaborately decorated 
with dyed quills ; with the exception of a very good Navaho blanket 
the remainder of the collection is of no interest. 

In the Basel Museum is preserved a small American collec- 
tion. The specimens from the United States and Canada are of 
minor importance ; but there are some extremely interesting things 
from Mexico, including a series of masks, one made of a greenish 
jadeite, another of obsidian. These are all small, but are well exe- 
cuted and are in a good state of preservation. 

The most important pieces in this collection are the carved 
wooden panels from Guatemala, which have been in the museum 
since 1878 and have already been described and figured 2 These 
ancient pieces are among the most valuable relics from America 
preserved in European museums. Considering their nature being 
made of wood and not more than 50 mm. in thickness, it is difficult 
lo understand how they lasted so many years in such a climate 
But fortunately they are quite well preserved, and the carving 
though low in relief, is yet clear and distinct. 

The ethnological collections in Bern are preserved in a large 
hall in the Historical Museum, a modern building opened in 1894 
In this museum are many specimens which were secured during 
Cook s third voyage, by the artist and draftsman Webber a mem- 
ber of the expedition, who was a native of Bern. Among these 
arejome^eces from the northwest coast of America, including a 

ablv 22^ ^ iM r ility 1° indUdC here mUSeUm !n Genera ' where ttee prob- 
and I w a peC ™ en5 fr ° m Am «- ; during nry visit ,0 that city the museum was closed, 
and I was unable to find anyone in authority. 

j ' c'° n 7 d ' R °7' Documents ficrits de 1'Antiquite Americaine, in the Memoirs 

nubthed h P f f f • 3 ' PariS ' l882 ' N ° teS on the --riptions were later 
pubhshed by Professor Seler in the Zeitschrifi der Gesdlschaft fur Anthropologie, Berlin 



BUSHNELLj 



MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 



3 



very large, well-preserved wooden mask representing a human face 
and showing traces of red coloring, several harpoon heads, and a 
mounted adz from the region of Nootka sound. These were col- 
lected during the year 1778. There are also a few pieces from 
southern Alaska, including several skin garments, two hats, various 
harpoons, etc. ; these together with some good baskets from Ore- 
gon were given to the museum in 1859. The larger part of the 
American collection, however, is formed of material from the upper 
Missouri valley tribes. 

Early in the last century, about the year 18 10, a native of Bern, 
J. S. G. Schoch by name, went to America and settled in St Louis, 
remaining in the West until 1838, when he returned to his native 
city. While in America he formed an extensive collection among 
the various tribes in the upper Missouri valley. This collection is 
now in the museum in Bern, where it was placed soon after it was 
brought from America. 

According to a note in the museum catalogue all the pieces 
were obtained directly from the Indians. Were it not for this state- 
ment it would be possible to consider some of the material as having 
come from the old Clark museum. Such may be the case, although 
without definite proof to the contrary we shall probably have to 
accept the statement in the catalogue as correct. 

In this collection are two excellent buffalo robes — the more 
important as well as the more interesting of these being shown in 
plate 1. The extreme length is just two meters and the greatest 
width is 1.60 meters. In one corner the robe is marked " Crow I.", 
showing it to have been collected among the Crow Indians. The 
figures are well drawn, the colors being red, yellow, and green, and 
a rusty brown which at one time was probably black. The two 
rectangular pieces attached to the robe are of red cloth ; to the lower 
edges of these pieces are fastened small wisps of horse-hair, some 
white, others black. Around the top of each wisp of hair is a narrow 
band of tin. The drawing on this robe evidently represents an en- 
counter between two tribes. It will be noticed that while some fig- 
ures are represented as having firearms, only short pistols are 
shown, not long guns, as is more often the case. The second robe 
is about the same size as the one already described ; it has a strip of 



4 



AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., io, 1908 



quillwork about 100 mm. in width, extending the entire length 
through the middle. The quills are dyed various colors and are 
remarkably bright. The figures represented on this robe are poorly 
drawn, being more conventional than those on the Crow robe. 
Both robes are in an excellent state of preservation and are prob- 
ably in as good condition to-day as when they were obtained from 
the Indians seventy years or more ago. The first has evidently 
been in actual use, but the second was probably newly made when 
it was collected. 

Next in importance and interest after the robes are four deer- 
skin shirts, all very good examples. 

One marked " Blackfeet " is an elaborately decorated old piece, 
measuring 560 mm. across the shoulders. The upper half is dyed 
black, and in the center of this space is a circular piece of quillwork 
bearing a cross-shaped design, the decoration on both the front and 
back of the shirt being similar. Over the shoulders and down 
each sleeve are rows of small glass beads. Attached to these beaded 
bands are many small wisps of human hair. Hanging from the 
right shoulder is one large bear claw having two perforations. 
The entire edge of the shirt is fringed. Another interesting shirt is 
one marked "Sac Indians." This is made of very thin skins. 
Only the edges of the sleeves are fringed, but over the shoulders 
and down the sleeves are broad bands of quillwork, bordered by 
narrow bands formed of glass beads. On both the front and the 
back are represented many human figures. These are shown only 
in outline, in black, no colors having been used. 

Belonging to the same collection are many pairs of moccasins 
from the different Missouri Valley tribes. The quill decorations on 
some are exceptionally fine, the colors remaining clear and bright. 
It is evident that in forming this collection only good specimens were 
chosen, for among the entire number there is scarcely a poor piece. 

In addition to the objects already mentioned, the collection in- 
cludes many others of lesser interest : A long deerskin coat, having 
a fur border, is of European design, but the workmanship is good. 
Many weapons, of which the most interesting is a spear marked 
" Dakota." This is 1.40 meters in length, having a long iron point ; 
the wooden shaft is decorated with wisps of horse-hair dyed red. 



AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 



N. S., VOL. 10, PL. II 




WAMPUM. PRESENTED TO THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM, BERN, SWITZERLAND, IN 1820. (TWO-THIRDS 

NATURAL SIZE) 



BUSHNELL] 



MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 



5 



Other weapons are : a Sioux bow, many arrows having iron points, 
several clubs, etc. Another interesting piece is a very large neck- 
lace of bears' claws. 

From this brief description it will be seen that the collection is 
one of much interest and importance. As all the specimens are 
in a remarkably perfect state of preservation, they are, of course, of 
special value at the present day. 

Another small collection in the Bern Museum consists of vari- 
ous specimens from the eastern provinces of Canada, collected by 
a Captain Malcolm by whom they were given to the museum about 
the year 1820. Of these the most interesting object is a piece of 
wampum of unusual shape. This is shown (two-thirds natural size) 
in plate n. The larger of the two rolls is 100 mm. in length and 
2 1 mm. in diameter ; the smaller is of the same length but only 1 5 
mm. in diameter. These rolls are apparently solid, made solely of 
tanned deerskin, although something may be enclosed. As will be 
seen, both rolls are covered with wampum, the larger having 1 5 
rows of 18 beads each, the smaller having the same number of rows, 
each composed of 1 1 beads. The beads are strung on two flax 
threads, passing one over, the other under, narrow strips of deer- 
skin. The two ends of each strip of skin are tied together, thus 
forming a cylindrical covering over the roll of skin. The beads 
hanging from the end of the larger roll, likewise those from the top 
of the smaller roll, are strung on very narrow strips of tanned skin 
which is knotted between the beads. The perforation in these 
beads is slightly larger than is usually found in wampum. Human 
hair, 250 mm. in length, naturally of a rather light brown color and 
very fine and soft, is attached to, or rather extends from, the lower 
end of the smaller roll. The hair woven into the mesh between the 
rolls is very coarse, black in color, and is probably horse hair. The 
human hair and also the loose strands of beads show traces of ver- 
milion ; probably they were at one time entirely covered. A few 
glass beads are mixed with the shell. This peculiar object is evi- 
dently complete, but what it may be or for what purpose it was 
made is difficult to say. 

Other pieces belonging to this collection are two very good deer- 
skin bags ; a small model of a bark canoe ; a steatite pipe with a 



6 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., io, 1908 

short quill-wrapped stem ; two birch-bark boxes having covers, the 
whole being elaborately decorated with quills ; and other smaller 
objects. 

The last specimens in the Bern collection to be mentioned are 
two belts which, according to an old label attached to one, were 
made by an Osage woman named Grothomil, who was in Bern dur- 
ing the year 1828. This woman was one of a party of six Osages 
who reached Havre on the 27th of July, 1827. Evidently after 
having been for some months in Paris they visited other European 
cities — including Bern, where the belts were made. 1 

Both belts are made of European wool and are examples of 
braiding or plaiting, not weaving. The white glass beads were first 
strung on the threads, consequently they are visible on both sides — 
in workmanship they are similar to the buffalo-hair bag in the Pitt- 
Rivers Museum, Oxford. 2 

The shorter of the two is 700 mm. in length, 120 mm. in width, 
and has a fringe of the unusual length of one meter extending from 
each end. This belt is braided of a heavy red wool and is deco- 
rated with white glass beads forming a simple design, lozenge -shaped 
in outline. The longer belt (fig. 1) is made of a similar red wool, 
but has on either edge a border of green. It is also decorated with 
white glass beads. The dimensions of this belt are : Length 1600 
mm. ; width, 105 mm. ; length of fringe, 400 mm. 

Neuchatel has an interesting Ethnographical Museum. The 
most important and extensive collection is from Africa, having been 
brought back by missionaries. But North America is represented 
by a small general collection, including several good pieces from 
Alaska. The best of these is a breast-plate formed of thin strips 
of walrus tusks. This armor is 310 mm. in width at the top and 
430 mm. at the bottom. From top to bottom it measures 400 mm. 
on the sides, and 450 mm. down the middle line. The strips are 

1Two pamphlets relating to the Osages' visit to Paris are known : (a) Six Indiens 
Rouges de la T Hbu des Grands Osages, arrives du Missouri au Havre, le 2J Juillet 
182J, stir le navire americain New-England, cap. Hunt . . . Paris, 1827. (b) His- 
toire de la Tribu des Osages, . . . ecrite d> apres les six Osages actuelletnenl a Paris. 
Par M. P[aul] V[issier]. Paris, 1827. 

2 Bushnell, The Use of Buffalo Hair by the North American Indians, Man, in, 
London, 1906. 



BUSHNELL] 



MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 



7 



eight in number. To overcome the natural curve 
of the material a triangular piece of bone has 
been fitted into the middle of the top ; this meas- 
ures ioo mm. in width and 130 mm. in length. 
Four strips are fashioned on. each side; all are 
bound together by means of narrow strips of 
rawhide passing through perforations. The 
strips of tusks are not more than 4 mm. in thick- 
ness. This is an old and evidently a much used 
piece ; the only mark it bears is the one word 
Alaska. 

Another piece of interest in this museum is 
an exceptionally good Sioux pipe, of catlinite, 
the stem of which is decorated with feathers, 
beads, and quillwork. This, together with other 
objects from the same tribe, was acquired by 
the museum many years ago. In the Musee 
Cantonal Vaudois, in Lausanne, are preserved a 
few ethnological specimens from North America; 
nothing, however, of special value or interest. 

In this short account of the American ma- 
terial to be found in the museums in Switzer- 
land, I have referred to all the important collec- 
tions in the country. But, as nearly every town 
of any size has a museum of some sort, it is pos- 




a 1 



Fig. 1. — Osage belts in the Bern Museum, with detail of the larger, enlarged one-half. 



8 



AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [x. s., 10, 1908 



sible that here or there may be preserved interesting and valuable 
specimens from North America not touched on in this paper. 

II. — The Kurz Journal 
The most interesting and valuable possession of the Bern Mu- 
slim, in reference to North America, is a manuscript journal, to- 
gether with a large collection of drawings and sketches, made by 
the Swiss artist, Friedrich Kurz, while among the Upper Missouri 
Valley tribes during the years 1850, 185 1, and 1852. 1 The manu- 




FiG. 2. — Sioux at Council Bluffs ; drawn May 25, 1851. 



script journal, written in German, covers 294 closely written folio 
pages and contains much valuable information regarding the man- 
ners and customs of the numerous tribes with whom he came in 
contact. 2 The sketches and drawings fill one large sketch-book of 

1 Through the courtesy of the authorities of the Museum permission has been granted 
the author to copy the manuscript and to photograph the sketches with a view to their 
publication, and steps to this end are now in progress. It is expected that the work will 
appear, in English translation, during the present year. 

2 Extracts from the journal were printed in the Jahresbericht of the Geographical So- 
ciety of Bern in 1894 and 1 896. Some of the sketches, and details from others, — twenty- 
nine figures in all — were printed at the same time. Five other sketches were reproduced 
in the popular illustrated paper, Die Sc/nceiz, Zurich, Dec. 1900, to accompany a brief 
biographical note. 



bushnell] 



MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 



9 




The Omaha village near Bellevue in 1S51. 



193 pages and also a portfolio 
of loose pieces, for the greater 
part portraits. In all there are 
probably about 700 drawings 
of various sizes, but many of 
these are in an unfinished 
state, being merely pencil 
sketches ; it was evidently 
Kurz's intention to add much 
of the detail later. Other 
drawings, however, are in ink, 
and the details are worked 
out to a remarkable degree. 
As already stated, a few of the 
drawings have been copied, 
but those shown in this article 
were never before reproduced. 

Friedrich Kurz was born 
in Bern in 18 18. During the 
year 1846 he went to Amer- 
ica, landing at New Orleans 
and afterward going up the 

river to St Louis. His object was to study the native tribes in 
their natural surroundings and later to publish a series of plates 




Fig. 4. — Otoes on the bank of the Mis- 
souri at Bellevue, June, 185 1. 



IO 



AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 



[N. 



[908 



with descriptive texts. In his journal he wrote on the 28th of 
October, 185 1 : - My plan is still for the gallery ... I shall 
have lots of correct drawings." But this wish was not to be fulfilled 
as he was unable to find a publisher, George Catlin's work having 
then been translated and printed in German, while there had ap- 
peared previously the somewhat similar work by Maximilian, Prince 
of Wied-Neuwied, illustrated by Bodmer, the friend of Kurz.' 

On the 1 8th day of April, 
185 1, Kurz arrived at St Joseph 
and there had his first glimpse 
of true Indian life. He made 
a long entry in his journal that 
day : 

St Joseph, formerly the trading- 
post of Joseph Robidoux, is at the 
foot of the Blacksnake hills on the 
left bank of the Missouri . . . The 
streets are crowded with traders and 
emigrants on their way to Califor- 
nia and Oregon. Many Indians 
of the tribes of the Pottowatomis, 
Foxes (Musquakees), . Kikapoos, 
Iowas, and Otoes are continually 
in the town. ... In summer the 
Bourgeois, or Chiefs, the clerks and 
Engages of the fur companies en- 
liven the streets. ... St Joseph 
is now what St Louis was formerly 
— their gathering place. 

Leaving St Joseph, Kurz 
went up the river to Council 
Bluffs, then a most insignificant place, where he obtained much in- 
formation and made many interesting drawings. 

May 14th, 185 1, he crossed the Missouri to Bellevue (near 
Omaha, Nebraska), the trading-post of Peter A. Sarpy, who traded 
chiefly with the Omaha. While there on the 16th, he wrote : 

In Bellevue I have drawn an Indian winter house made of earth, and 
also a Pawnee girl. Her costume is distinguished by its great simplicity — 
a skirt to the arms held by straps over the shoulders. 




[851, 



Fig. 5.— Omaha; drawn June 
probably at the Omaha village near Belle 
vue. 



bushnell] 



MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECT/OAS 



Four days later, on May 20th, he entered in his journal : 

Again crossed the river to Bellevue in order to visit the Omaha village 
some six miles distant ; went over the bluffs, as being the shortest way, 

then crossed the high prairie ... to 
the Papillon creek which partly sur- 
rounds the village of the Omahas. 
The village itself is built on a hill. 
. . . The camp or village is composed 
of leather tents and earth-covered 
lodges [fig. 3] . Between the tents and 
lodges are scaffolds for drying meat 
and also an enclosure for the horses 
... I walked into the village and 
watched a group of young men en- 
deavoring to throw lances through 
rolling rings, the others being gathered 
on top the earth lodges, as spectators 
and judges. . . . 

Quitting Bellevue and Council 



Fig. 6. — Sitting figure is an Omaha, 
showing tattooing ; drawn at Bellevue, 
June 8, 185 1. Standing figure is a Crih 
[Cree] ; drawn at Fort Union, Sept. 28, • 
1851. 

Bluffs he continued up the Mis- 
souri : passing Fort Pierre where 
cholera was raging, he arrived at 
Fort Berthold on the 9th of July, 
1 85 1, and remained until the 1st 
of September. During that period 
he made some of his most valuable 
drawings and recorded many inter- 
esting events. 

On the 26th of July, 185 1, 

. ... . quivers with bows and arrows, 

Kurz made the following entry in ornaments> Drawn at Fort 





Fig. 7. — Herantsa [Hidatsa], showing 
also hair 
Berthold, 



his journal : 



July 16, 185 1. 



12 



AMERICAN ANTHR OPOL 0 GIS T 



[n. s., io, 1908 



Two days of great interest have passed. Yesterday a dozen metis 
de la Riviere Rouge [half-breeds from Red river] arrived with a Catholic 

missionary ; they wished to buy or 
barter horses. They had left their 
great camp one day's journey from 
here. They were all very gaudily 
dressed, half in European, half in' 
Indian style. Tobacco pouch, belt, 
knife sheaths, saddles, shoes, and 
whips were richly ornamented with 
glass beads, porcupine spines, or 
colored quills, — artistic work of 
their wives or sweethearts, — but 
their dress was of cloth after our 




Fig. 8.— Girl with paddle and "bull- 
boat" ; drawn at Fort Berthold, July 
27, 1851. 

pattern, without vests. The voune 
priest, Charles Lacombe, at once 
began to preach; he had a good 
deal of fault to find with us. . . 

This morning came the news 
that a band of Sauteurs 5 (Ojibua, 
Chippewa) would visit us from the 
camp. The metis are half Chip- 
pewas and half Canadians, Scotch- 
men, even Swiss, from Lord Sel- 
kirk's old colony. Finally when 
the Sauteurs had completed their 
toilet, which is a matter of great 
moment among the Indians, they 
sallied forth from a clump of woods 
and marched toward us. There 




1 Note by Kurz : The name 
around the Sault Sainte Marie. 



Fig. 9.— Herantsa [Hidatsa] at Fort 
Berthold, July 31, 185-1. Showing peculiar 
hairdressing and decorated buffalo robe. 

Sauteurs" was given to those Ojibuas that lived 



BUSHNELL] 



MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 



13 



were about one hundred of them, mostly in warrior's garb, and mostly on 
foot, though a few rode on horseback alongside of the column. Five 
chiefs with ornamental peace pipes and the emblems of their " coups" 
all over their attire, opened the proces- 
sion : behind them in bands came the 
soldiers, singing, beating their drums, 
and shooting. 1 

Then came three women in a cos- 
tume different from that in use in this 
neighborhood. 2 (Fig. 10.) 

The rear of the procession was 
formed by a troop of young men who 
as yet had gained .no rank. Behind 
the fort, Quatre Ours, the Herantsa 
[Hidatsa] chieftain, and Ta Tongue 
Cheveleure, 3 the famous orator, were 
awaiting the procession ; when they 
approached, the Sauteurs stopped, in 
order to hear the orator's welcome, 
whereupon, intoning a song, they rap- 
idly and proudly marched into the vil- 
lage and sat down on the narrow, dry 

edge of the open place (at that time a great slimy, stinking pool with 
thousands of frogs). The five chiefs lay their pipes in front of them, the 
pipe heads on the ground in the direction toward the hut of Quatre Ours, 
the stem of the pipe on a wooden fork, which was stuck upright in the 
ground. The pipes were not yet lit ; splendid garments were brought to 
the chiefs from various directions and were laid down on the ground be- 
fore their pipe-heads without remarks, but with much solemnity. 4 Mean- 
time singing was constantly going on. . . . 











J*§€ 






4 - 1 










Fig. 10. — Sauteuse 


[Saulteur] 


woman : 


drawn at Fort 


Berthold, 


June 27, 


1851. 





1 Note by Kurz : When visiting, the firing of guns before arrival is a sign of peace- 
ful disposition. 

2 Note by Kurz : The coat of blue cloth extends as far as the shoulders and is held 
up by two broad, ornamental braces over the shoulders, as well as by a belt above the 
hips ; the Pawnee are also very finely ornamented. [See page 10.] 

0 Note by Kurz: The two chiefs looked comical enough in their black coats. They 
wore perfectly black clothes in European style, without shirts, with breech-cloth and black 
trousers, very long hair, no gloves, but fans made of eagles' wings. 

±Note by Kurz: The garments offered were for the most part so-called habits de 
cheffre, that is to say a kind of motley colored military coat of red, blue, or green cloth 
with white stripes, or richly ornamented leather shirts. 



14 



AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., io, 1908 



July 27. The metis are gone. Our Indians have crossed the river 
again, to hunt buffaloes. As soon as these animals are seen from afar, 
the soldiers gather in their huts (the so-called assembly lodge) to deliber- 
ate whether the hunt is to take place. The decision is announced by a 
caller from the assembly lodge. No one is allowed to go buffalo hunting 
alone against the decision of the soldiers, in order that all may have an 
equal chance. . . . 

Kurz left Fort Berthold on September 1st for Fort Union, at 
the mouth of the Yellowstone, where he arrived a few days later. 
There on the 4th of October he made this entry in his journal : 




Fig. II. — Drawn (probably at Fort FlG. 1 10. — Chippewa woman in mourn- 
Berthold), July, 1851, showing an uncom- ing. Drawn at Fort Union, at the mouth 
mon form of hair-dressing. of the Yellowstone, Sept. 28, 1851. 

Blackfeet this side the mountains 1500 lodges with about 4000 men; 
Crows 440 lodges with about 1200 men. Assiniboins of this neighbor- 
hood 420 lodges, 1050 men : from 2-3000 Assiniboins live far above, near 
lake Winnibeg. Kristenaux [Cree] trading here 150 lodges but in all 
about 800. Ricares 600 men in 300 lodges. Chippewas near 3000 lodges. 
Sioux 2000. 

That Kurz was always looking for details to sketch is shown by 
this note : 



bushnell] MATERIAL IN SWISS COLLECTIONS 15 

Oct. 13, 1851. As we were weighing and hanging up dried meat, 
a lot of Assiniboins came to the fort with squaws and many horse and 
dog travays [travois] . As a whole these trading parties do not show much 
of interest, but there are always many details to be picked up, of great 
value to a painter. . . . 

Remaining at Fort Union all winter, Kurz left there April 19th, 
1852, for St Louis, where he arrived on the 25th of May. While 
among the Indians he formed a large collection of ethnological 
material, but it was necessary for him to dispose of it in St Louis 
before starting for his native city of Bern. He returned to his home 
in September of the same year and lived there until his death in 
1871. 

Washington, D. C. 




ig. 12. — Crow Indian horse, showing trappings. 



1 



• 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



0 021 213 538 OH 





